Shiner, Sugar, Sunshine: What Texans Are Naming Their Dogs These Days

Texas pride is strong among Texas dogs, Rover.com says. Ranger ranks among the 10 most popular male names in Dallas-Fort Worth.

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Five stories that have North Texas talking: the more popular dog names in Texas; open carry has arrived; another loss for the Cowboys; and more.

Texans are getting creative with names for their dogs. Rover.com, the nation’s largest network of dog sitters and dog walkers, examined its dog data and determined Texas pride is strong among Texas dogs. Ranger ranks among the 10 most popular male names in Dallas-Fort Worth. Rover.com says Dallas ranks in the top 10 cities across the country for alcohol-themed names: Shiner is a popular dog name in North Texas. (Who knew?!)

Texas pride is evident across the state. In Houston, Cowboy, Dallas, Ranger and Tex are popular names. There’s even a dog named Davy Crockett, Rover.com says. In San Antonio, many dogs are named after food: Oreo, Honey, Ginger, Cookie and Sugar. In Austin, Daisy is the most popular female name. Austinites love to name their dogs after nature – Lily and Rose are popular, as are Sunny and Sunshine.

Open carry is legal in Texas. The Texas Tribune reports: “As the New Year arrived, so did a new option for gun-toting Texans. The state’s roughly 826,000 handgun license holders, who previously had to keep their firearms concealed, can now carry them openly in a hip or shoulder holster. Across Texas, law enforcement officials, city leaders and business owners are bracing for lawsuits. That's because state officials have so far largely left interpretation of the new law, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed in June, up to local authorities. Prosecutors and police chiefs across the state’s 254 counties will now each determine their own answer to what was one of the most hotly debated questions of the 2015 legislative session: whether police officers can ask those visibly carrying guns to present their permits.” [Texas Tribune]

Garland school officials are trying to find families affected by the recent tornadoes.KERA’s Stella Chavez reports: “No [Garland ISD] school buildings there were seriously damaged, but there are all sorts of complications – displaced families, disrupted bus routes, destroyed bus stops. The Garland school district has launched an online questionnaire for families and a phone bank with 15 operators, including some who speak Spanish .. Moore said as many as 3,500 families live within the path of the storm, but the district still isn’t sure how many are within its boundaries. Staff will use information from the questionnaire and phone bank to create new bus stops by Tuesday, when students return to class. They will also help with other needs like meals, school uniforms and band instruments.”

The Dallas Cowboys lost – again. ESPN reports: “Twenty years after their most recent Super Bowl win, the Dallas Cowboys finished with the franchise's third-worst record since the advent of the 16-game schedule with Sunday's 34-23 loss to the Washington Redskins. Only the 3-13 finish in 1988, Tom Landry's last year, and the 1-15 finish in 1989, Jimmy Johnson's first year, were worse than 2015's 4-12 mark. ‘I'm just really taken aback by the fact that we're sitting here with four wins after this year,’ owner and general manager Jerry Jones said. ‘This was never anticipated.’” Jones says he doesn’t plan on replacing head coach Jason Garrett. [ESPN]

TCU wins the Alamo Bowl in triple overtime.Sports Illustrated reports: “After trailing Oregon 31–0 at halftime of the Alamo Bowl, the TCU Horned Frogs staged an incredible rally, scoring 31 unanswered points of their own to match the largest comeback in bowl-game history, force overtime, and eventually go on to win a 47–41 thriller. Trailing by three late in the fourth and looking to cap off an incredible second half performance, the Horned Frogs drove the field effectively but were stopped at Oregon’s five yard-line and forced to kick a field goal. The kick tied the game at 31, and more chaos ensued.” [Sports Illustrated]